Job 12
1 To naah Job mah,
Job replied,
2 Nangcae loe kami ah na oh o pongah, palunghahaih hoiah nawnto na dueh o tih, tiah palunghaeng han om ai.
“You really think you're special people, don't you? Obviously when you die, wisdom will die with you!
3 Kai doeh nangcae baktiah poekhaih ka tawnh toeng; nangcae pongah ka hnaem kue ai; ue, mi maw hae baktih hmuennawk panoek ai ah kaom?
But I too have insights, and you're no better than me. Doesn't everyone know the things you've said?
4 Sithaw ka kawk naah, anih mah ang pathimh; toe ka imtaeng kami mah ang pahnui thuih; katoeng kami hoi coek koi om ai kami loe pahnuithuihaih ah ni oh.
But my friends laugh at me because I called on God and he answered me: the innocent man who does right has become an object of derision.
5 Hmaiim baktiah khosak hoih kami mah raihaih katong amtimh tom kami to pahnuithuih.
People who are comfortable have contempt for those who are in trouble, ready to push over those who are already slipping.
6 Hmuenmae taek kaminawk ih kahni im loe qoeng tahang, Sithaw panoek ai kaminawk loe ngancuem o; Sithaw mah a ban hoiah angraenghaih to paek.
Robbers live in peace, and those who make God angry live in safety, trusting their own strength as their ‘god.’
7 Toe vaihi moisannawk to dueng oh, nihcae mah na patuk tih; van ih tavaanawk to dueng oh, nihcae mah na thui o tih;
But if you ask the animals they will teach you, the birds in the sky will tell you;
8 to tih ai boeh loe long to dueng oh, anih mah na patuek ueloe, tuipui tanganawk mah na thui o tih.
ask the earth and it will teach you, and the fishes in the sea will tell you.
9 Hae hmuennawk loe Angraeng mah ni a ban hoiah sak, tiah moisannawk mah mataeng doeh panoek o na ai maw?
Which of all these doesn't know that the Lord has done this?
10 A sak ih hmuennawk boih ih hinghaih hoi kami anghahhaih takhi loe a ban ah ni oh.
He gives life to every living thing, life to all humankind.
11 Pakha mah caaknaek pataengh baktih toengah, naa mah loknawk to tanoek na ai maw?
The ear distinguishes words just like the palate distinguishes foods.
12 Saning coeh kami loe palunghahaih hoiah koi; saning kasawk ah hing kami loe panoek thaihaih to tawnh.
Wisdom to distinguish belongs to the old, and the ability to rightly discriminate belongs to those with long experience.
13 Toe Sithaw loe palunghahaih hoi thacakhaih hoiah akoep; palunghahaih hoi panoek thaihaih doeh anih ih ni.
God has wisdom and power, counsel and understanding belong to him.
14 Khenah, anih mah phraek ih hmuen loe, mi mah doeh sah let thai ai boeh; anih mah pakhrak ih kami loe, mi mah doeh loisak thai ai boeh.
If he tears something down, nobody can rebuild it. If he imprisons someone, nobody can free them.
15 Khenah, anih mah tui pakaa naah, tui to kaang; anih mah paongh naah, long loe tui hoiah koi.
If God holds back the waters, everything dries up; if he releases the waters, the earth floods.
16 Anih loe thacakhaih hoi palunghahaih hoiah koi; aling kami hoi aling kop kami doeh angmah ban ah ni oh.
He is mighty and victorious; both deceivers and those deceived are subject to him.
17 Anih mah kahoih poekhaih paek kaminawk to amrosak moe, lokcaek kaminawk to amthusak.
He leads counselors away stripped of their wisdom, he makes judges into fools.
18 Anih mah siangpahrangnawk to takhoe moe, kazii hoiah zaeng.
He removes the chains of office from kings and makes them wear loincloths.
19 Anih mah qaimanawk to takhoe moe, thacak kami to amtimsak.
He leads priests away stripped of their religious garments, he overthrows the powerful.
20 Anih mah oepthok kahoih poekhaih paek kaminawk ih pahni to tamuep pae moe, kacoehtanawk khopoek thaihaih to lak pae ving.
He takes away the advice of trusted advisors, he removes the discernment of the elders.
21 Anih mah angraengnawk to azatpawsak moe, thacak kaminawk to thazoksak.
He pours scorn upon princes and takes away power from the strong.
22 Anih mah khoving thung hoiah kathuk hmuennawk to amtuengsak moe, duekhaih tahlip to aanghaih thungah zaeh.
He reveals what is hidden in darkness, and brings into the light the shadow of death.
23 Prae kaminawk to lensak moe, amrosak let; praenawk to kaawksak moe, tamcaeksak let.
He makes nations great and he destroys them; he expands nations and ruins them.
24 Long zaehoikungnawk ih palunghahaih to a lak pae ving moe, loklam om ai praezaek ah amhetsak.
He removes the understanding of rulers and makes them wander in the wilderness.
25 Nihcae loe aanghaih kaom ai khoving thungah pathoep hoiah avah o moe, mu paqui kami baktiah ahnuk ahmaa amtimh hoiah lam caeh o.
They grope around in the dark without a light. He makes them stagger like drunk people.
